Sigma SD15 now available in the USABy
Mike Tomkins(Wednesday, June 30, 2010 - 18:48 EDT)Sigma Corp. has today announced US retail availability of its SD15 digital SLR, whose development was first revealed at the 2008 Photokina tradeshow, with further details provided in February 2010.

Expected street pricing for the Sigma SD15 is US$989, just slightly below the psychologically important $1,000 mark. A direct successor to the now rather long-in-the-tooth SD14, the Sigma SD15 retains the same near-APS-C sized Foveon image sensor, and still yields a final image size of 4.7 megapixels, with full color information at every pixel location. The SD15 is the first Sigma digital SLR to receive a TRUE-branded image processor - specifically, the current generation TRUE II processor as first seen in the DP2 compact.

Changes in the Sigma SD15 as compared to its predecessor include a larger, sigificantly higher resolution 3.0-inch LCD panel, and slightly restyled / reconfigured rear panel controls. The SD15 also switches from CompactFlash / Microdrive media to Secure Digital or SDHC cards, but doesn't support the newest SDXC cards. Body side is unchanged, but weight has been reduced just slightly. On the inside, the Sigma SD15 offers an expanded ISO sensitivity range, seven user-selectable color modes, DPOF compatibility, tweaked metering methods, and a new Russian language option. The SD15 also drops the interpolated Super High image resolution, and looks to have dropped the reduced-resolution Raw file modes as well.

Ronkonkoma, NY, June 30, 2010 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider of some of the world's most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, is pleased to announce that the company’s highly anticipated SD15 digital SLR camera is now available in the United States for the estimated street price of $989.

The SD15 is the latest model in Sigma’s SD series, which previously consisted of the SD9, SD10, and now includes the SD14. The DSLR has been developed to produce superior image quality with improved processing speed, operation and performance, and its 14-megapixel Foveon X3 direct image sensor can capture all primary RGB colors at each pixel location arranged in three layers. The SD15’s “TRUE II” image processing engine helps the camera process a large amount of data, while producing high-resolution, high-definition images with impressive three-dimensional detail and rich gradation.

“Our plans for the SD15 were originally shared with the photo community at photokina in 2008 because we wanted our customers to know that we’re committed to the SD camera system and our outstanding Foveon technology,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, general manager of Sigma Corporation of America. “It’s been long-awaited, for sure, but it’s worth the wait. We are really pleased with the image quality we’re getting from this camera.”

In addition to the enhanced processing speed from the TRUE II engine, the SD15 adopts the SD card and incorporates a highly visible 3.0 inch LCD monitor with 460,000 pixels and greater pixel density, a new, 77-Segment AE sensor, an Analog Front End (AFE), and an extra ISO stop at 3200. The SD15’s buffer is also larger than its predecessor’s, allowing 21 raw images to be shot continuously, as opposed to six, and the camera has an improved user interface.

The Sigma SD15 comes with the company’s new Sigma Photo Pro (SPP) 4.0 software, which features new, user-controlled noise sliders that allow for greater control over detail rendering in images taken at ISO 400 and higher, and special algorithms that were specifically developed for processing SD15 raw files. Like earlier versions of the software, SPP 4.0 also contains the X3 Fill Light function, which allows users to easily add light to shaded areas of an image, without overexposing highlighted areas.

In March of 2008, Sigma introduced a high-end compact digital camera, the DP1, which uses the same large image sensor as featured in Sigma’s digital SLR cameras. That camera was soon followed by the DP2, DP1s, DP1x and DP2s. The DP and SD series have established a strong following from a wide range of amateur and professional photographers.

About Sigma Corporation For nearly 50 years, Sigma Corporation’s expertise and innovation has driven the company’s core philosophy of “knowledge, plus experience, plus imagination,”with anemphasis on producing high-quality, high-performance photographic technology at moderate prices. This family-owned organization is the largest, independent SLR lens manufacturer in the world, producing more than 50 lenses that are compatible with most manufacturers, including Sigma, Canon, Sony, Nikon, Olympus and Pentax. Sigma Corporation also produces digital SLR cameras and high-definition digital compact cameras. The company is headquartered in Japan, with offices strategically located throughout Europe, Asia and North America. For information, please visit www.sigmaphoto.com.